Nice foamy head when poured into a tall Waterford crystal glass. Hint of the vanilla and smoke in the nose. Thinner body than I was expecting but that does not impair its drinkability. No single element overwhelms in this beer. There is a lasting, pleasant aftertaste. I paired this beer with, of all things, grilled boar chops and blood sausage. Heavy fare. That is good food territory for this beer. Elk or venison would pair well. Make some chili and add a bottle to your chili and drink a 2nd bottle. I was not surprised to like this beer because it is a close flavor neighbor to one of my personal favorites, Ballast Point's Victory at Sea. I give BP the win on a comparison (and would love to compare them side by side) but BP does not run away with the race. (776 characters)

Bottle: Poured a clear light black color porter with a large light brown foamy head. Aroma of light chocolate notes with light smoky note notes with some vanilla undertones are pleasant. Taste is a mix between chocolate malt notes offset by some vanilla with discreet smoky flavors. Body is thinner then I was hoping for with good carbonation. Well brewed and easy to drinking but lacks some depth and body to be truly great. (425 characters)

Love vanilla porters. Loved their smoked porter. Decided to try this. Pours dark dark amber with a dark crimson glow. Ultimate khaki head. Lacing is tremendous thru out. The head diminishes later but still lingers around. Smells of sugar sweetness. Taste is surprisingly light bodied. Full of flavor tho. Upfront blast of all around vanilla with after tastes of smokiness and light burntness. Also hints of cocoa as well. Veeery niiice (435 characters)

A - Nice dark brown, black color with a light brown head and light lacing.

S - Soft but rich aroma with the vanilla really coming upfront and then the smooth smoked malt, light roast, dark chocolate and sweet coffee tones. The smoked character is there but it seems to be behind the real vanilla bean character.

T - The sweet malt and french vanilla are first to the tongue. The middle opens up into more of the depth that is Stone's smoked porter with caramel, light roasted coffee, chocolate, and the perfect amount of smoked character to add depth. The finish is where the roasted character really takes shape allowing some contrast to the sweet porter base. Very smooth and much richer than I would have anticipate at less than 6% ABV!

M - Moderate to high mouth-feel. low to moderate carbonation. I was surprised at the significant amount of mouth-feel that you could get from this beer. Enough to coat the palate on the sip and accentuate the flavors but still light enough not to linger.

Overall, this is a very delicious version of the smoked porter. It really blends the base beer with the vanilla very well and has a much more natural place than some of the vanilla beers I've had. The same goes for the amount of smoke with just enough to compliment but not be predominant. I really liked this beer and if you like porters I would strongly recommend this one since it is flavorful and easy to drink.

I'm not a big fan of Stone as a whole, but this is one of the best porters I've had since Sockeye powerhouse porter. It has a sweet toasty vanilla flavor that finishes thick and chewy in a delightful way. (204 characters)

nitially taken by the way the vanilla rounds the porter bitterness. An all around pleasant drinking experience. Only knock against this is a slightly metallic finish. Pours out a nice dark brown, with a medium airy, frothy beige head. Aroma of vanilla somehow tricks the mind into thinking chocolate. taste has the vanilla rounding out the roast grains, mild sweetness with bitterness lingering in the background. Overall nice presentation. (440 characters)

O: Good flavor, decent level of smokiness and malt depth for 5.9%. Good start of smokiness, but maybe weens off a bit mid-drink, maybe due to getting used to or having the bruery's smoking wood earlier in the week. (899 characters)

*transferred from old ntoes - 12/31/2013*22oz bomber poured into a brandy snifter. The aroma initially comes through as musty - kinda like a wet rag - but, shortly after, the vanilla bean comes through; although the vanilla bean aroma, once found, dominates, the wet rag smell still lingers a bit. As the drink warms up, some cola aromas come through too; overall not too offensive, and the vanilla and cola combination make it more pleasant. The deep, rich ruby brown color (cola comes to mind again) is nearly opaque. The fluffy, brown-yellow head reduces down to some "clumps" of head floating on top. Small, even lacing cascades at a somewhat quick pace, although a sparse amount will cling to the side of the glass throughout the drink. There really is no initial taste, just a very plain maltiness; however, swishing it a bit brings out the vanilla sweetness with some cola, followed shortly by some burnt bitter notes and some hop spiciness. Swallowing without swishing allows the vanilla to really be accented without as much of the burnt smoky flavors. It?s a thinner texture with very light carbonation. The lightly burnt, maybe roasted, aftertaste lingers for awhile. Initially it strikes me as a bit salty and meaty, kinda like a salami, but eventually gives way to a creamy sweet vanilla with some pepper spicy to it. Definitely not a beer for those who shy away from sweeter beers, but I could see this pairing nicely with a lot of different food combinations; and could be a lot of fun tasting the different aspects of the beer that come out whether it?s paired based on its sweetness or roasted-ness. (1,617 characters)

-lots of tiny bubbles for a nice sustaining thick head on a black body- scent is smokiness like its brother but more mellow and refined-the vanilla bean is the perfect note level not to strong but softly lingering, while there is more coffee in this one than the smokiness of the last one very complex with the few notes they applied- feel is thicker than the last one earning it a higher rating -great porter liked this much more than the other variety, a greatly crafted beer! (482 characters)

Like a vanilla-ish version of Southern Tier Chokolat. Except whereas that was exceptionally chocolaty, this has only slight vanilla and only slight smoke. Not *bad* (it is smooth) -- it just didn't come across as a big, strong flavor.

LOOK: Dark black with a tan head that laces the glass. Good clarity, however dark, no sediment. On par for the style.

SMELL: Vanilla is noticeable above the roasted and slight meaty smoked malts. Smells like a beer, not so much like a dessert, and that is desirable.

TASTE: The flavor of vanilla coffee is big upfront with some toasted and slight smokey quality. Mealy and vanilla like, pretty unique character. The smoke element really comes out more as the beer warms, with hints of smokey chocolate (if such a thing exists). Pretty tasty brew and worth savoring.

FEEL: Medium bodied with a firm carbonation. The beer loosens up a lot at room temperature.

OVERALL: A nice rendition of the smoked porter. Vanilla kind of sticks out like a sore thumb, but it is still nice. If they took this beer and aged in in bourbon barrels with coffee it would probably be the best thing ever. (899 characters)

Enjoyed from a growler in a Rhinegeist snifter. This unique porter pours a dark blackish brown with ruby highlights and a solid off white foam head that dissipates to a thin pool and light ring of foam leaving some fantastic lacing. Nose of smoke, roasted malts, and rich vanilla. Flavors are smoke and vanilla forward, with vanilla and smoke resting heavily on the back with a light bitter malts aftertaste. Nice carbonation makes for an easy drinking experience, while the aftertaste reminds one that this is a unique take on a traditional porter. Smoke is a bit lighter in this one than the standard smoked porter which is very nice. For those who are not smoke fans this is a decent foray into the style. (714 characters)

Poured a deep brown, almost black with a thin ring of tan head. A nice looking porter, true to form. Scents of smoked malt, roast malt, coffee with cream and vanilla, with the cream and vanilla predominating, but fairly balanced. Overall impression of aroma is of a nice porter, true to form, with the special ingredients discernible and complementing the aroma profile. Quite nice. Flavor begins with the typical porter flavor compliment, dark chocolate, coffee, roast malt, at medium levels, aided by a cream, vanilla and lightly smokey flavor. Middle opens up more bitterness, with a stronger roast malt character, black coffee with cream and vanilla, along with an increasing smoked malt presence, and bittersweet cocoa. Finish is dry with notes of smoked malt, smokey wood, bittersweet chocolate and black coffee, with a bit of vanilla. Aftertaste is roasted and smoked malt. Overall impression of flavor is of a bold, smokey porter, more intense than the base smoked porter, with enough vanilla flavor to add further depth. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium-high carbonation and a smooth initial feel that becomes drying. Overall impression of mouthfeel is of a rather chalky porter, still within the style, and pleasant in its own way. Overall this is a fairly good beer. It has a nice aroma that highlights the special additions and a flavor that follows. Mouthfeel aids flavor and makes the beer quite easy to drink. Perhaps a bit too bold and lacking in subtlety, but it's Stone, so that is to be expected. (1,521 characters)

Based on a 3/31/15 enjoy by date bomber- Poured a two finger off-white head into a pint glass. The color was a beautiful ruby brown color, with initial scents of vanilla and chocolate and ended with smells of coffee. To be honest, I was expecting a creamery feel, which I believe was over shadowed by the excessive carbonation. Overall I did enjoy it throughly and look foward to trying it again winter. (403 characters)